Baltimore National Heritage Area - Management Plan

The Baltimore National Heritage Area (BALT) was authorized in 2009 by P.L. 111-11 Sec. 8005. The heritage area includes the heart of Baltimore City – its central and oldest neighborhoods, downtown, and waterfront areas – innumerable heritage, cultural, and natural resources. The city of approximately 641,000 residents contains 56 National Historic Districts and 300 individual National Register listings. The boundary of the Baltimore National Heritage Area also includes Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, the birthplace of the National Anthem.

Public Law P.L. 111-11 designated Baltimore Heritage Area Association as the Management Entity for the NHA. The management entity shall also: • direct and coordinate the diverse conservation, development, programming, educational, and interpretive activities within the heritage area. • implement the recommendations contained in the plan in a timely manner pursuant to the schedule identified in the plan; • coordinate its activities with the City, the State, and the Secretary; • ensure the conservation and interpretation of the heritage area's historical, cultural, and natural resources, • assist the City and the State in the preservation of sites, buildings, and objects within the heritage area which are listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places; • assist the City, the State, or a nonprofit organization in the restoration of any historic building in the heritage area; • increase public awareness of and appreciation for the natural, cultural, and historic resources of the heritage area; • assist the State or City in designing, establishing, and maintaining appropriate interpretive facilities and exhibits in the heritage area; • assist in the enhancement of public awareness and appreciation for the historical, archaeological, and geologic resources and sites in the heritage area; • encouraging the City and other local governments to adopt land use policies consistent with the goals of the plan, while taking actions to implement those policies; • encourage intergovernmental cooperation in the achievement of these objectives; • develop recommendations for design standards, within the heritage area; and seek to create public-private partnerships to finance projects and initiatives within the heritage area.